Literature & Language Essay: Impact of Oppression of the Lives of Negroes

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Impact of Oppression of the Lives of Negroes
Oppression is the most dominant theme of the 18th century. It gives rise to the new form of expression, which is identified as the Black American Literature or African American Literature. This sub-genre of literature is mainly concerned with the redemption in the face of the black man and his culture from the negative to a more positive direction. This piece of writing contains three literary works that are influenced by the theme of oppression, including the play "A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry, the story "The Lesson" by Toni Cade Bambara, and the novel "The Pearl" by John Steinbeck (Hansberry; Bambara; Steinbeck). All three writers shared the same theme about the hardships faced by African-Americans under the dominance of white Americans. The three symptoms found common in the main characters, include problems created by racism, social discrimination, class discrimination, and unequal distribution of wealth.
Racial Discrimination
Racism was the most prominent issue in the18th century (Wheeler 207). The writers of that particular age were highly influenced by racism, and it is revealed by their works and the main characters. We can witness that all stories revealed racism, and the main characters are the victim of it. In the play “A raisin in the sun,” the protagonist Walter and her family faced problems in the housing industry, employment, and living space because of racism (Hansberry). Also, the setting of houses in the context calls specific attention to the racism of Chicago’s segregated housing. Linder’s character reflects White Americans’ in a black character who make efforts to hamper Negros’ flourishing to provoke racism or violence in society. His efforts to convince the Youngers’ family not to move into a white neighborhood lead up to the idea of racism. As per Bambara’s story, The Lesson issue of racial discrimination and social injustice also shed light in this context by implementing institutionalized racism and intraracial racism in the form of economic inequality (Steinbeck). Price tags on the toys made Sylvia pensive and agitated. Moreover, her anger at Miss Morre’s step of bringing the kid in such an expensive shop symbolizes the aggression over racial discrimination, which resulted in the Black Power Movement period in American society (Joseph, 2006, p. 1). Sylvia's poverty symbolizes the disappointing position of Blacks in the society who cannot fulfill their desire because of imbalance in communities. Of the two stories, the novel “The Pearl” by Jhon Steinbeck comparatively revealed the common issue of racial discrimination with greater emphasis. The doctor's refusal to help the poor shows White Americans who were not in favor to pity Blacks. Kino’s possession of the pearl or to keep it with him after bearing so many hardships shows his unsuccessful efforts to change his life and to get free from the poverty and slavery of white Americans. The issue of racial discrimination was only highlighted in the news but also it had a great impact on writing. Charles Killingsworth considered that racial discrimination is the result of the failure of N...